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Tashi is Maaza Miss India New York
The financial analyst at NY's Citi Bank is the winner of the 23rd Miss India New York Pageant, reports Lalit Jha.
Tashi Sharma, an Indo-American of Bihari descent, is the new Maaza Miss India New York.
A graduate in Computer Science and at present a financial analyst at the Citi Bank in New York, Tashi, 22, was declared winner of the 23rd Miss India New York Pageant by a panel of judges following a competition held at the prestigious Haft Auditorium of Fashion Institute of Technology.
Nisha Mirchandani, 24, was declared the first runner-up, while Pooja, 18, as the second runner up.
Tashi along with 33 other pageants from various US states would now be competing for the Miss India US being held next weekend at Tampa in Florida.
"I do not believe it, that I have done it," Tashi said after being crowned Miss India New York by the outgoing beauty queen, Subrina Dhammi. She has now joined the NBC television as staff reporter.
In New York since 1998, Tashi said her grandfather was from Muzaffarpur, while grandmother from Chhapra. "But I have never been to Bihar," she said. Her grandfather was a pilot in Air India and is now leading a retired life in Dehradun.
Born in Kathmandu, and having spent most of her life in Mumbai and New York, Tashi - looking gorgeous -- said she was was not averse to joining Bollywood if she got a very good offer.
The first Miss India New York, Richa Sharma was selected by none-other than Dev Anand for his film "Hum Navjawaan". Richa later was married to Sunjay Dutt.
"I felt honoured after a long hard-working day. But the feeling is yet to sink it that I am the Miss India New York," Tashi said. "It has been a wonderful experience for all of us," she said.
Tashi, who was also declared winner of the Best Talent and Best Hair, said her goal of life was to become a successful chief executive officer (CEO) of a fortune 500 company.
The final section of the pageant, which went on for more than hours, was marked by some of the best performances by young Indo-Americans in New York including dance, music and fusion, besides a fashion show.
Organized by the the India Festival Committee, the genesis of the pageant is being traced back to 1974 when the committee began its first annual India Festival in the Central Park, of New York. An integral component of the festivals was the immensely popular fashion show, said Dharmatama Saran its founder president.
This fashion show, Saran said become so popular by 1979 that it was decided to start the first Miss India Pageant from 1980. New York took lead by organizing the first regional pageant. The same year, they also held the Miss India US. pageant.
